The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

Police brutality or misconduct is a grave civil rights violation. You may feel powerless when confronted with police brutality, but you have the right to seek financial compensation and justice for your injuries and hold the offending police officer accountable for actions that tarnish fellow police officers as well.

Police brutality is the unlawful use of excessive force, threats, physical and verbal abuse, unjustified shootings, choking, fatal beatings, misuse of pepper spray or stun guns, sexual assault, racial profiling, false arrest, corruption and bribes.

Most police officers do serve and protect the citizens of their communities to the best of their ability, while some officers abuse their power. In some cases physical force is justified in order to restrain a suspect or to protect the police officers and others from serious bodily harm, but there are instances when some police officers cross the line and abuse their authority.

The police brutality attorneys at The Cochran Firm are committed to providing effective legal representation to those who have been victims of unlawful police actions. The police brutality attorneys at the Cochran Firm have a proud tradition of civil rights advocacy and will address police brutality wherever and whenever it occurs.

If you or someone you care about has been the victim of police misconduct or brutality, please contact the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania location of The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation with our police brutality attorneys to protect your legal rights.

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The "City of Brotherly Love" has a problem with abuse and neglect of its elderly population in nursing homes and assisted living centers. Nursing home abuse and neglect of the elderly is often covered-up by the staff and unreported by the victims who are either incapable of giving voice to their abuse or afraid of the repercussions if they tell.

It is reported that over 85% of cases of nursing home abuse and neglect go unreported or unrecognized. Deaths in nursing homes are rarely investigated and almost never prosecuted. Abuse and neglect takes many forms and is seen as physical, emotional, verbal and sexual abuse, unnecessary use of physical restraints and the overuse of medication to keep the residents compliant. Withholding food and water and poor personal care along with financial exploitation encompass other forms of abuse our elders suffer at the hands of undertrained and heartless nursing home and assisted living center staffers.

The nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at The Cochran Firm have the resources and the will to investigate and evaluate cases of nursing home abuse and neglect and will work hard to ensure the people responsible for these injustices are made to pay for their abuse and neglect. Our attorneys have successfully litigated many cases of nursing home abuse and neglect for our clients and have ensured that the residents’ legal rights are protected under the law.

If you live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or the surrounding area and you suspect someone you love is the victim of nursing home abuse and neglect, please contact The Cochran Firm today.

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Although most nursing home and assisted living facility staff are dedicated hard-working people, nursing home abuse and neglect is a very big problem in this country.

With almost forty million people over the age of sixty-five in the United States the problem of nursing home abuse and neglect should be a concern for everyone. Older adults are often placed in a very vulnerable position and find themselves the victims of undertrained and uncaring staff members, unable to articulate their abuse or unwilling to, in fear of retaliation by their caretakers.

Signs of nursing home abuse and neglect include chronic open wounds, bruises and sores, infections, unreasonable physical restraints, signs of overmedication, malnutrition and dehydration. Emotional abuse may reveal itself in the nursing home resident being extremely anxious or depressed, continuously rocking back and forth and agitated.

There are complex legal issues involved in an allegation of nursing home abuse and neglect such as premises liability, medical malpractice, inadequate security or even wrongful death. The Cochran Firm has many years of experience in litigating cases of nursing home abuse and neglect and employs experts in various areas to investigate and evaluate the circumstances of each individual case.

If you suspect someone you care about is the victim of nursing home abuse and neglect in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, please contact The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation to discuss your concerns.

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Truck accidents are often serious and deadly and may involve trucks colliding with cars, other trucks, motorcycles, trains at railroad crossings, multi-vehicle pile-ups on fog shrouded highways, pedestrians or bicyclists being struck by delivery trucks on city streets, jackknife accidents, brake failures and runaway trucks on downgrades, rollovers caused by tire blowouts, unsecured and shifting loads and toxic spills that endanger communities.

Common causes of catastrophic truck accidents involving serious injuries and deaths are speeding, driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, reckless and aggressive driving, fatigue due to demanding schedules, mechanical failure and poor maintenance of equipment, tire failures and dangerous driving conditions due to weather or road hazards.

If you have been in an accident with a truck in the Philadelphia area the experienced truck accident attorneys at The Cochran Firm will work diligently to make certain you are fully compensated for your medical expenses, your pain and suffering, lost income and lost capacity to earn in the future, and any other expenses you have had to incur due to injuries caused by the truck accident. Do not be pressured into settling for less than you deserve by the trucking company or the insurance company.

If you or someone you love was seriously injured or killed in an accident with a truck, please contact the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office of The Cochran Firm today to have your case evaluated, at no cost to you, and work to obtain the financial compensation you deserve for the injuries you have suffered.

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A catastrophic injury has a severe impact on the victim and their family for a long time; that is why it is important to pursue financial compensation that covers medical and personal care expenses not only for the present, but well into the future.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is classified as a catastrophic injury because of the complex and delicate tissues of the brain that are damaged as a result of a blow to the head. A traumatic brain injury can cause a lessening of motor and cognition skills, memory loss, debilitating headaches, vision and hearing problems, dizziness, loss of consciousness, emotional instability and personality changes. People with TBI often suffer permanent damage and require extensive medical and personal care for their entire life.

Traumatic brain injuries can occur as a result of an automobile accident, a sports injury, a criminal assault or a job-related injury, but can also result from a simple fall or what is perceived to be at the time, a slight bump on the head. Over 3,000,000 people struggle with life after TBI in this country every day that requires physical, emotional and financial support in enormous quantities.

If you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury, please contact the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office of The Cochran Firm today to find out if you are entitled to financial compensation for your injury to assist you in securing a better quality of life.

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Premises liability involves accidents that happen due to unsafe, dangerous conditions or negligent maintenance of property owned by someone other than the person that was injured or killed.

Property and business owners have a legal obligation to provide a safe environment for people on their premises. Common situations that can cause premises liability accidents are slippery floors, uneven sidewalks or walkways, poorly lit steps, torn carpeting and inadequate security measures.

An area of premises liability claims that has recently increased in scope are claims against hotels, shopping malls and other businesses in known crime ridden areas that fail to protect their guests and customers. Many of these cases involve people that have been victims of rape, assault and armed robbery, who have been severely injured or killed because the business establishments failed in their duty to protect their customers or guests.

A claim for financial compensation because of an injury or death caused by unsafe conditions on someone else's property may make you eligible for payment of medical expenses, lost income, loss of future earning potential and pain and suffering. In the event of a death, the survivors and beneficiaries may be entitled to financial compensation as well.

If you or someone you love has been injured or killed as a result of unsafe conditions on someone else's property, please contact the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office of The Cochran Firm today.

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Distracted drivers are responsible for most automobile accidents, are four times more likely to have an accident than other drivers and are just as likely to have an accident as a driver with a .08 percent blood alcohol level.

The most distracted drivers are those that text while driving. Eighteen states have passed laws making texting while driving illegal according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The United States Department of Transportation reported that over fifty-eight hundred people were killed and five-hundred-fifteen thousand were injured last year in automobile accidents caused by driver distraction often involving cell phones and mobile devices.

Driving requires your full attention and anything less is to risk your safety as well as the safety of others on the road. Texting and driving just do not mix. Your text message will be there when you get to your destination, but if you attempt to respond to it when you are driving, you may not get to your destination.

If you live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and you or someone you love was involved in an automobile accident, please contact the experienced automobile accident attorneys at The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to learn how to protect your legal rights and receive the compensation to which you are entitled.

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In 2005, a fan manufactured by Lasko Products, Inc. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ignited a fire in a family home. A 7-year-old boy was trapped inside the house. Despite the efforts of rescue workers, the boy died of smoke inhalation and burns. Now, his mother and sister finally believe their quest for justice has been vindicated with a $13.5 million dollar verdict in their favor. The mother said she hoped that the verdict in the defective product case would call more people's attention to the recall of Lasko fans and save other families from experiencing a tragedy like hers.

The verdict included $4 million to the mother and $2 million to the sister for emotional distress. The verdict also included significant punitive damages against Lasko Products. Lasko had known about the defects in the Chinese-made motors in its fan since 1999, and had even developed corrective technology for the defect in 2004. But Lasko did not inform consumers or the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) about the defect until 2006. This despite a 2000 incident in which a 12-year-old boy was killed in a fire started by a Lasko fan. Lasko had reached a confidential settlement over the 2000 incident, a settlement that allowed Lasko to keep the incident secret and continue selling the defective fans without telling consumers of the CPSC until 2006, too late to stop more tragic loss of life.

Defective product lawsuits are about more than just getting compensation for your loss. They are also about protecting others. Regulatory agencies do have some power, but often that power is just enough for a company to want to conceal defective or dangerous products. For failing to report the defective fan motor, Lasko was fined only $500,000 by the CPSC, compared to the millions it would have cost the company to recall 5.6 million fans, as it was forced to do in 2006. But if a company is threatened with millions of dollars for every death their defective product causes, they are more likely to act in a timely fashion to protect consumers. If you have been hurt by a defective product, your lawsuit can literally save lives.

It is also important to work with a law firm that lets you stay in control. At the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office of The Cochran Firm, we put our experience, our expertise, and our resources to work for you, but you remain in control. We will not accept a confidential settlement if you want a trial to publicize the risks of a dangerous product.

If you or someone you love has been injured or killed by a dangerous product and you want to take action against the company that could have protected you, The Cochran Firm can help. With our nationwide resources, we are capable to taking on any opponent no matter how large. Please, contact us today for a free consultation and case evaluation.

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The Department of Defense has decided it will not file criminal charges over the death of a Green Beret from Pennsylvania who was electrocuted in the shower by faulty wiring. In January 2008, the 24-year old staff sergeant was taking a shower in his Baghdad quarters when he was electrocuted by an improperly grounded water pump at the building. The wiring at the quarters, a converted palace of Saddam Hussein, was performed by KBR, a former subsidiary of Halliburton and one of the largest recipients of lucrative military contracts. Although the wiring was found to be responsible for the soldier's death, the company was absolved of criminal charges because the Army did not set explicit standards such as "electrical equipment should not electrocute soldiers" and did not exhaustively inspect the company's work.

After 18 US soldiers were electrocuted by defective wiring in Iraq, the Department of Defense initiated a task force to assess fire and electrical safety issues. The task for has inspected more than 67,000 pieces of equipment and facilities, and fixed nearly 14,000 deficiencies, meaning that approximately 1 in 5 wiring jobs performed by military contractors was done poorly. At one point, one of the inspectors declared that shoddy wiring was everywhere, and nearly a third of the buildings inspected had such serious problems that the wiring had to be fixed within four hours or the building evacuated.

Although criminal charges have been dismissed, the family of this soldier is pursuing a premises liability lawsuit against the contractors. If you have lost someone to the negligence of a corporation, you need an ally prepared to take on the largest foes. The Cochran Firm is prepared to be that ally. Contact the personal injury lawyers at our Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office today to schedule a free consultation.

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Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the mesothelium, a thin layer of tissue that covers almost all of the internal organs. Every year, two to three thousand more people are diagnosed with this disease. Mesothelioma most often affects the lining of the lungs, the heart and the abdomen.

Exposure to asbestos fibers is the primary cause of mesothelioma. Asbestos is found in many everyday consumer products, such as, insulation, cement, brakes, shingles, and flooring. Workers who manufactured and handled these products on a daily basis for years are at the greatest risk for contracting mesothelioma.

Manufacturing companies that were aware of the dangers of exposure to asbestos, knowingly exposed their employees to these hazards. Therefore, it is safe to say, millions of Americans have been exposed to the dangers of asbestos fibers. Most new cases of mesothelioma appear in men fifty to seventy years of age, since it is difficult to diagnose and often goes undetected. Mesothelioma is usually in an advanced stage when initially discovered.

If you live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or the surrounding area and you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos fibers or has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, please contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney at the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office of The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to learn about your legal rights and obtain the justice and compensation you are entitled to for being subjected to this illness.

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A claim of wrongful death states that a person has died due to the negligence or misconduct of another person, and that the survivors of the victim are entitled to damages as a result of the death.

A wrongful death claim may apply in the case of a death caused by medical malpractice, an automobile accident, a criminal assault, a slip and fall accident, a death caused by the use of a defective product or pharmaceutical or any number of instances in which a death was the fault of someone else.

A wrongful death usually leaves those left behind in a devastating position, emotionally, financially and legally. Each wrongful death claim is unique and involves details which must be uncovered and examined by an experienced wrongful death attorney in a timely manner. The statute of limitations for filing a wrongful death claim varies from state to state, but is commonly limited to one to three years duration. The laws involved in wrongful death claims are very complex and time is of the essence when filing a claim involving a wrongful death.

Compensation in a wrongful death may include medical, funeral and burial costs, compensation for the victim's pain and suffering prior to death, loss of financial support for the survivors, loss of future earning potential and pain and suffering of the survivors due to the loss of the deceased.

If you live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or the surrounding area and you have lost a loved one due to the actions or negligence of another, please contact an experienced wrongful death attorney at the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office of The Cochran Firm today to schedule a consultation at no cost to you to obtain the justice you deserve.

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Surgical medical malpractice results in a high number of deaths in this country annually. Half of all malpractice lawsuits each year involve surgeons.

Surgical procedures most commonly involved in surgical medical malpractice cases include cosmetic surgery procedures, LASIK eye surgery, gastric bypass surgeries, and orthopedic surgeries.

Errors can occur with the wrong part of the body being operated on, the wrong limb amputated, surgical instruments left in the body, anesthesia problems, and problems in recovery with infections and medications.

Most surgical medical malpractice involves the surgeon, the anesthesiologist or the hospital staff. Patients and their family members should not have to suffer emotionally, physically and financially for the mistakes of others.

Compensation for surgical medical malpractice can include damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of income, loss of future earning potential and in the event of a death, final expenses. Survivors may also be entitled to compensation in the event of a death. Protect your legal rights by consulting an experienced surgical medical malpractice lawyer.

If you live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or the surrounding area and you or someone you care about has been the victim of surgical medical malpractice, please contact the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office of The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to protect your legal rights.

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Pharmaceuticals with dangerous and even deadly side effects sometimes appear in our pharmacies because their potential dangers were not foreseen prior to being released to unsuspecting consumers. Defective drugs have become well known to the general public.

Defective drugs or pharmaceuticals have dangerous side effects that outweigh any benefits they may offer. When a drug is found to be defective, a recall is issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Drug recalls have included, but are not limited to Baycol, Propulsid, Rezulin and Vioxx. The most common pharmaceuticals considered to be in the dangerous category are arthritis drugs, cholesterol lowering drugs, anti-depressants and some vaccines.

It is true all medications have side effects, but the side effects of defective drugs are often life-threatening. Pharmaceutical companies that produce these dangerous drugs often know there are problems with their products and have been known to minimize the dangers in order to continue marketing their drugs.

Defective pharmaceutical consumption results in pain and suffering for an untold number of Americans each year and many lawsuits against the drug companies that manufacture them. Damages have been assessed against these drug companies in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Residents of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the surrounding area who have been affected by a defective pharmaceutical should contact the Philadelphia office of The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to learn about your legal rights.

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Medical malpractice lawsuits are down 41% in Pennsylvania due to the adoption of two new procedural changes. These changes were meant to ease the effects of the rising premiums for medical malpractice insurance.

The first procedural change requires the plaintiff to get a "certificate of merit" from a medical professional for filing with the county. This certificate is meant to establish that the medical treatment received fell below the appropriate standard of care.

The second procedural change requires all plaintiffs to file their medical malpractice case in the county in which the alleged medical malpractice occurred. This is meant to prevent plaintiffs from filing the case in a county where juries are more likely to award larger sums for damages, like in Philadelphia.

Understanding Medical Malpractice Procedures

The medical malpractice laws differ from state to state and they have a tendency to change. A medical malpractice lawyer will be able to walk you through the steps in filing your medical malpractice case to ensure your case is filed correctly according to the law.

No matter how the laws have changed, you will still have a case if you have suffered due to medical malpractice. If you are in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, please contact the Cochran Firm's Philadelphia office to speak with a Medical Malpractice Lawyer. We know the law and will protect your rights.

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Tire failure is just as, or even more dangerous, than a mechanical failure in an automobile. There is little that is more frightening to deal with while driving than a blow-out in a fast moving vehicle.

Many tire manufacturers have experienced tire defect and failure problems with their tires. It appears to be an industry wide problem and not confined to only one or two manufacturers. Tires have been recalled in the past due to tire manufacturing defects and tire failures which resulted in sudden blow-outs and de-treading.

Tire tread separation at highway speeds is disastrous and too often a rollover accident is the result. Rollover accidents often crush the occupants of the vehicle causing spinal cord injuries, head injuries, paralysis and death.

Tires manufactured with inherent flaws are more likely to have problems like tread separation, premature wear and tear and tire fatigue. Tire failure usually begins with cracks on the side of the tire. These cracks grow larger and instead of causing a flat tire, the cracks create a separation between the tire treads and belts which causes tread failure.

If you live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or the surrounding area and you or someone you love was injured in an automobile accident caused by a tire defect, please contact an experienced tire defect attorney at The Cochran Firm's Philadelphia office today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to learn about your legal rights and whether you are entitled to compensation.

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